Medidata Introduces eConnect Partner Program
eConnect Enables Direct Integration of Physician Systems to Clinical Research, Linking EHRs, EMRs and eSource Solutions to Medidata's Cloud PlatformFirst Program to Alleviate "Swivel Chair Interoperability," Enabling Life Sciences Companies to Eliminate Duplicate Data Entry and Improve Clinical Trial Efficiency
"Pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies are increasingly looking for technologies to gather more and better patient data. However, a key concern is the increasing burden on investigative sites, currently tasked with using disparate systems for different clinical trials in addition to the systems needed to manage their medical practices and record data from patients who are not participating in research studies," said Medidata's president Glen de Vries. "The rapidly expanding ecosystem of EMR, EHR and eSource technologies requires openness and interoperability, which our eConnect program provides by making it possible to integrate them all with the industry-leading electronic data capture capability on our platform. This will enable clinical trial sponsors to simplify day-to-day operations and workflows at investigative sites through a single system that's already in place, eliminating the need for staff to repeatedly enter the same data in multiple systems and resolve transcription errors."
According to a
A key example cited is the lack of integration between EHRs, EMRs and other eSource systems-used by clinicians to record patient data-and EDC (electronic data capture) systems-administered by sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs). The phenomenon has perpetuated a cumbersome double-data entry practice commonly referred to as "swivel chair interoperability," which creates significant delays in collecting and cleaning data.
Through eConnect, Medidata is providing the global life sciences industry with a program to overcome these issues.
"eConnect is the first commercially available program to alleviate ‘swivel chair interoperability,' no matter what type of eSource system clinical trial sites use-whether it's their own, a sponsor-provided technology or an EHR or EMR integration," de Vries added. "The flexibility our program provides will make it easier for sponsors to work with investigative sites that have the right therapeutic expertise while supporting broader efforts to drive their long-term retention in clinical research programs."
In facilitating the use of eSource data for clinical research, the eConnect Partner Program will also support the industry's broader efforts to increase adoption of data standards, such as those established by the
"It's gratifying to see Medidata, a long-term member of CDISC, launch a program that aligns with the broad goals of eSource: bringing together the worlds of healthcare and clinical research to enable better efficiencies and better quality data," said Michael Ibara, CDISC's head of digital healthcare. "The potential benefits of an end-to-end, interoperable approach for both sites and researchers are numerous, whether we're talking about eliminating data duplication and transcription errors, producing more accurate and complete data, providing more timely access to EHR data from clinical sources, or reducing travel costs for data monitors by making it possible for them to access computerized data remotely. These factors could encourage more doctors to participate in clinical research and, in the long run, contribute to therapeutic advances."
Newsletter
Stay current in clinical research with Applied Clinical Trials, providing expert insights, regulatory updates, and practical strategies for successful clinical trial design and execution.
Related Articles
- Operational Strategies That Strengthened the NIMBLE Trial Design
September 16th 2025